Three US soldiers killed, more than 30 injured in Jordan drone attack
Middle East, News, US January 30, 2024 1 Comment on Three US soldiers killed, more than 30 injured in Jordan drone attackThree U.S. Army troops were killed while more than 30 service members were injured during a drone strike on a small American military outpost in Jordan. The drone attack, which is linked with Iranian-backed regional proxies, was carried out on January 28, 2024.
The drone targeted the U.S. military outpost Tower 22 in Jordan near the border with Syria. Officials said the drone was fired by Iran-backed militants and appeared to come from Syria. The Islamic Resistance in Iraq has claimed the attacks.
The U.S. Central Command officially confirmed in a statement that three service members lost their lives, and a minimum of 34 others sustained injuries. CENTCOM noted that eight of the wounded service members were promptly evacuated for more advanced medical care. The number of wounded is expected to rise as service members seek treatment for symptoms consistent with traumatic brain injury.
Last night, three U.S. service members were killed, and many wounded, during an unmanned aerial drone attack on our forces stationed in northeast Jordan near the Syria border.
— President Biden (@POTUS) January 28, 2024
Jill and I join the families and friends of our fallen in grieving the loss of these warriors in this…
It is the first deadly strike on the U.S. military outpost in the Middle East, following Israel’s attack on Gaza, that has resulted in the death of American servicemen. The U.S. President Joe Biden pledged to ensure accountability for the attack labeling Iran as the culprit behind it.
“While we are still gathering the facts of this attack, we know it was carried out by radical Iran-backed militant groups operating in Syria and Iraq,” Biden said in a statement shortly after the attack.
U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin also echoed his determination to respond to the attacks, as he and other senior Pentagon officials briefed Biden on the attack. Austin blamed Iran for the attacks and said that “Iran-backed militias are responsible for these continued attacks on U.S. forces, and we will respond at a time and place of our choosing.”
“I am outraged and deeply saddened by the deaths of three of our U.S. service members and the wounding of other American troops in an attack last night against U.S. and Coalition forces, who were deployed to a site in northeastern Jordan near the Syrian border to work for the lasting defeat of ISIS. These brave Americans and their families are in my prayers, and the entire Department of Defense mourns their loss,” Austin said in a statement released by the U.S. Department of Defense.
Iran’s permanent mission to the United Nations has denied Tehran’s involvement in the attack. “Iran had no connection and had nothing to do with the attack on the U.S. base,” the mission said in a statement published by the state news agency IRNA.
That statement added, “There is a conflict between U.S. forces and resistance groups in the region, which reciprocate retaliatory attacks.”
Fear of escalation
The recent attack is poised to heighten concerns about an escalating conflict in the Middle East. Following the outbreak of war in Gaza triggered by Hamas’ attack on Israel on October 7, resulting in 1,200 casualties, Israel’s subsequent offensive in Gaza has led to the deaths of over 26,000 Palestinians, as reported by the local health ministry.
Since then, U.S. forces have faced more than 150 attacks from Iran-backed groups in Iraq and Syria, resulting in at least 70 casualties, predominantly traumatic brain injuries, before the incident on Sunday.
Adding to the complexity, U.S. warships have been targeted by Iran-backed Houthi forces in Yemen, who regularly launch attacks on commercial ships navigating the Red Sea waters off Yemen’s coast. The region remains fraught with tensions and security challenges.
CENTCOM Conflict Defense Houthi Iran Jordan Middle East Military Security Syria Terrorism U.S. U.S. Army
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[…] Qaani made a quick visit to Iraq shortly after Washington blamed the Iran-backed militant groups for the killing of three U.S. soldiers at the Tower 22 outpost in Jordan. […]